New Delhi, The area sown to kharif crops like paddy remained 16 per cent lower at 531.25 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing season due to weak monsoon, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
Sowing of kharif (summer) crops typically begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June. However, planting has been delayed this year owing to a weak monsoon linked to the El Nino effect.